This popular southern meal was first introduced to me by my late father-in-law, Felix Adams. He knew that I would love it and wanted someone to joyfully carry on his Mississippian family tradition. As I devoured my first plate, Felix told me how this good luck meal was originally prepared by West African slaves on the rice plantations of South Carolina’s Gullea area for their families. They combined locally grown legumes known as cowpeas (basically black-eyed peas) with rice, then flavored everything with pork and simple seasonings. Collard greens came to symbolize economic prosperity, and corn bread is just plain good.

While slave cooks had long appreciated the value of black-eyed peas, it took a recipe in Sarah Rutledge’s 1847 cookbook, The Carolina Housewife to get the attention of the upper-class southern ladies. Today the dish is sometimes served with Champagne at the stroke of midnight. Some tuck a coin into the mixture before serving, believing that the lucky recipient will have an especially fortunate new year. Personally, I think that if you’re willing to risk choking to death or breaking a tooth during a ruckus celebration, you’re going to need all the luck you can get.

Today, I keep my hoppin’ john fairly traditional but make it more festive by cutting in red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers to resemble New Year’s confetti. Plate it with the brilliant green collards and deep golden corn bread, and you have a meal that is as beautiful as it is delicious.

Here’s to a prosperous, healthy, happy new year with lots of good eating in 2010.

Print out a copy of Hoppin’ John and Rice for your convenience.

Love those fat little tummies. Mmmm. Nibble those tiny feet and bite off their spicy gingerbread heads. Dark, moist ginger babies are irresistible and the perfect holiday baking project for kids of all ages.

Santa’s impending arrival has the kids in my family bouncing off the wall so I keep them busy in the kitchen making memories. Sammy, five, loves to cook and got right into mixing and stirring the batter. As I measured the spices and flavorings, he adventurously sniffed each and discovered to his chagrin that individually, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cardamom are bitter and don’t always smell good. Black pepper makes him sneeze. Worst of all molasses—the one ingredient that makes gingerbread divine—was pronounced “sninky… yucky… disgusting!” Imagine his delight when he realized that mixed up into batter, everything tastes “amazing!” and fills the kitchen with the sweet smells of Christmas that he knows and loves.

Pouring the spicy batter into the molds can be tricky; little kids are hilarious with their tongues hanging out of the sides of their mouths in deep concentration. Sammy carefully filled several dozen molds and proudly passed them to me—”ta-dah.”

Cousin Jackson, also five, joined us at the kitchen table to decorate the cooled ginger babies. I’d set out small bowls of brightly colored buttercream frostings, tubes of red, green, orange, pink and white icing for drawing, and lots of sprinkles, edible fairy dust and my favorite cinnamon red-hot candies.

The little chefs proudly showed off their masterpieces, then settled by the fire with hot chocolate and treats, giggling as they bit off spicy gingerbread toes and heads. Could live be any sweeter?

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Print copies of Ginger Babies and Buttercream Frosting for your convenience.

Tiny Christmas elves turned my kitchen into Santa’s workshop earlier this week when they decorated several hundred holiday sugar cookies and gingerbread people.

Every year they arrive; perhaps it’s the rocking Christmas music that attracts them, or the long kitchen table laden with pots of brightly colored buttercream frosting, sprinkles, edible glitter, red hots and whimsical decorations. Then again, it could be the delicious trays of cookies waiting for their magic.

As head elf, I crank up the holiday spirit with Santa hats, aprons and festive party favors. Nothing breaks the ice like blinking necklaces of colored lights and silly, flashing Rudolf noses to remind the children of their friend at the North Pole.

Sammy and Jackson got into the party spirit dressed as elves. They selected their cookies, swiped their mini spatulas in the black frosting and immediately started eating it. In a flash, both boys were giggling and displaying their black tongues for all to see as the rest of the guests—young and old—got in on the silly fun.

The joy of cookie decorating is infectious; I’m always delighted when the adults replace the elves at the work table as they run off to play. Our oldest guest (85 years young!) produced three wildly colored cookies that we hung on the kitchen cookie tree.

Beyond Wonderful intern Theo Andersen donned a full Santa suit—with cool black shades—and listened to each child’s Christmas list. Ho-ho-ho! Did you know that this Santa is always hungry and joyfully accepts cookies from all?

To keep the elf energy up and prevent a sugar overdose, I set out lots of savory snacks on a low table for easy access. Deli meats like salami and ham are always popular. Add some cheese, bread and crackers with fresh fruit and veggies, a few drinks and you’re set. This time I included black olives for the littler kids.

After a few hours, the elves of all ages wound down and were ready to transport their cookies home. I find that inexpensive, different-sized cardboard gift boxes with tissue paper do the job well. Close each with a festive sticker to make it feel special.

This year I was reminded, as always, that kids are magic—especially when surrounded by so much sugar and creativity. Take your cue from them, and your own cookie party is sure to be sweet success.

Read “Cookies… and Just a Touch of Chaos” for lots of tips on how to organize your own holiday cookie decorating party.

Get printable copies of Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread　Cookies for easy reference.

Print our illustrated, step-by-step instruction on How To Roll Dough.